THE ground breaking ceremony for the new, modern Consulate General in Lagos, which will strengthen the bilateral cooperation between the United States and Nigeria, took place yesterday.
The new U.S. Consulate General in Lagos, which is located on a 12.2-acre site in the rapidly developing Eko Atlantic City, will support diplomatic and commercial relations between the United States and Nigeria, as well as provide a safe, secure, sustainable, and modern workplace for American and Nigerian Consulate employees.
The $537 million proposal to build a new Consulate in Nigeria will directly help Nigerians. This basically is because throughout the project, which would invest an estimated $95 million in the local economy providing approximately 2,500 Nigerian people, including engineers, architects, artisans, construction workers, and administrative personnel, who will be employed.These workers will have the opportunity to learn new technical skills and have a better understanding of safety, which will help them stand out in the local market.
Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard expressed gratitude to the Government of Nigeria and the Lagos State Government for their support at the ceremony, which was attended by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
“Our vision for this remarkable Consulate campus is to create a facility that both honors the vibrant relationship between the United States and Nigeria and communicates the spirit of American democracy, transparency and openness,” Ambassador Leonard said.
“Nigeria and the United States have a long-standing history of people-to-people engagement fostering bridges between our two nations. We look forward to the many accomplishments we will continue to achieve together in the future,” Consul General Claire Pierangelo said.
The new Consulate will be a modern space with improved public-facing interview and waiting spaces for Africa’s largest consular operation. It will be the world’s largest US Consulate when completed, demonstrating the importance of the US-Nigeria relationship.
The construction project aims towards Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification– a globally recognized designation for excellence in high performance, best-in-class, green buildings – and includes a number of features aimed at making the structure more sustainable.
The design architect is Ennead Architects LLP of New York, the design/build contractor is Pernix Federal, LLC of Lombard, Illinois, and the architect of record is EYP, Inc. of Albany, New York. The construction project will take about five years to complete, with a completion date of 2027.
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